You too WiSo there is however a win32 SDL version as well thats based on the linux port a guy named ArtVandelee has been making all the things work on it that don't work very well in the directx version you can see the thread here with a patch includedhttp://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=30950
The advantage over the directx version is it actually has a couple of visualisations working with it.
I posted a list of things that don't really work in the directx version a while back in this thread

Yep read the thread. The question is how is the windows build supposed to continue? With sdl, directx or both merged? DirectX would be the natural choice under windows but with the sdl stuff the build is more close to the other ports.
Let's see how Art is proceeding.

Well jmarshall has said from the start that he has no desire to make the directx windows port anything more than a tool for skinnners and scripters. These days in the terms of functions the linux SDL version way outways the directx version with things like

*Web server works
*Visualizations work Including a milkdrop Varient (projectm)
*More Audio formats supported
*Video player has a lot more support
*MythTv backend can be accessed to play back live tv
*Settings like network / time / screen res actually change the pc
*Fullscreen works
*Joystick control (so you can use wired/wireless controllers)
*Remote control support
*Can be run as the default UI for the PC (no need to boot into windows then run)
*Vsync support to stop video tearing
*The UI actually resizes to the screen rez its not just a stretched out directx overlay
*A few really good devs who are doing a great job

and probaly more but thats all I remember right now
I know that with some work the directx verison cn have all this too if some one really wants

Though picking up where ArtVandelae left of in order to finish the OpenGL version of SDL Win32 port for Windows might be the best point to start before looking into using DirectX/Direct3D instead of OpenGL with SDL.http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=30950

PS! You probably want to try to use the latest development version of SDL (SDL 1.3) which is under construction and available via libSDL subversion depositoryhttp://www.libsdl.org/svn.php

I have not tried it myself but I believe that you should just be able to load the xbmc.vcproj project file in Microsoft Visual Studio(?), maybe ask ArtVandelae in his topic thread in the development forum to not get too much off-topic over here.http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=30950

I pretty sure that the wiki article can not be trusted today, feel free to update it with the correct instructions when you get it to build (after you created an account on the wiki then PM pike for 'ninja' status for the wiki in order to get write access).

Ok that's enough for the beginning. I'll ask further questions in the development forum.
My other questions are also answered since the win32 project file of the linux branch contains the needed build targets and definitions.

I built a new compile today (Rev.11823) using both the XBMCDBR method+PC build, and also made one using the Build.bat (choosing 2-pc,and rebuild NEW exe) and both are not showing color in video's, only shows black and white, so i'm only guessing based off this that the build isn't the problem. It's a found bug.
The oldest build i still have is backed up is from 2-16-2008, and when i take the XBMC_PC.exe file and copy it over to my XBMC-PC directory, it plays video's fine in color again. I know it's not a compile error, as i just grabbed the T3CH XBMC 2008-02-24 SVN rev11787 build and grabbed his XBMC_PC file, and tried that one and it's also black and white video's, no matter which settings. So it's confirmed it's not a bad build on my end, as i trust T3CH's builds, and have the same effect happening.
So somehow between 02-16-2008 fresh build, and 02-24-08 fresh build, color video playback got broke. Please tell me anything else needed and i will post it.

Using xbmc_pc on a PC that has a direct internet connection , I used to get the winsock error when using xbmc_pc, but after some advice, removing socket imports in scripts cured it.

but, I still get the error when using xbmc_pc on a PC internet connected throu a proxy (correct proxy details entered in proxy xbmc -> network -> proxy settings). the xbmc_pc retrieves home page rss feeds and weather without problem.